Colorado

[Pozees]

Today we redid the pen I've been keeping brooders in. Now the whole pen is a brooder. We put 2' of 3/4" foam board insulation all the way around the perimeter, outside the pegboard so they can't peck at it, and put 2 heat plate brooders (like Eco Glo only with covers and from Premier Supply so less $), a heated waterer, and put the chicks from last weekend and the weekend before in there. At first they weren't sure what to do so I put them under the heat plate. I checked on them later and I had it too high, so they were all piled at one end. Doh! I lowered the heat plate, and moved the feeders closer to the heat plate, and then realized it was going to get too cold for them to get water without chilling so I put a heat lamp over the waterer and the blocks it sits on, and on final check 8 of them were out under the heat lamp and the rest were under the heat plate. The heat plates use considerably less electricity, so hopefully it will warm back up again soon and I can unplug the heat lamp for the year. They're a week and two weeks old, this weekend's hatch is in the house brooder for a few days until I'm sure they're ready to go out there. It won't be long before they have feathers and don't really need the heat plate - I bought two so one can be raised up for older chicks in case of continued cold snaps.

The chicks love having room to run and flap their wings, and I love watching them do it

 

[suncatcher]

Today we redid the pen I've been keeping brooders in.  Now the whole pen is a brooder.  We put 2' of 3/4" foam board insulation all the way around the perimeter, outside the pegboard so they can't peck at it, and put 2 heat plate brooders (like Eco Glo only with covers and from Premier Supply so less $), a heated waterer, and put the chicks from last weekend and the weekend before in there.  At first they weren't sure what to do so I put them under the heat plate.  I checked on them later and I had it too high, so they were all piled at one end.  Doh!  I lowered the heat plate, and moved the feeders closer to the heat plate, and then realized it was going to get too cold for them to get water without chilling so I put a heat lamp over the waterer and the blocks it sits on, and on final check 8 of them were out under the heat lamp and the rest were under the heat plate.  The heat plates use considerably less electricity, so hopefully it will warm back up again soon and I can unplug the heat lamp for the year.  They're a week and two weeks old, this weekend's hatch is in the house brooder for a few days until I'm sure they're ready to go out there.  It won't be long before they have feathers and don't really need the heat plate - I bought two so one can be raised up for older chicks in case of continued cold snaps.

The chicks love having room to run and flap their wings, and I love watching them do it

Nice product, and the price is great. So do they have to touch the heat plate? I was just reading on their site, that it works different than a heat lamp.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
Yes, they work more like a mother hen, so the chicks run under the heat plate and put their backs up against it for warmth. The heat plate gets to 120 degrees, and we tested them before putting in place, they were both at 120, not at all hot to touch. I could plug in 4 and use the same electricity as one 250 watt heat lamp, so much more energy efficient. The added bonus is no added light overnight - I've always used the red heat lamps and not had a problem but they are hot, a fire hazard, and use a lot of juice. I read a bit of a study that found chicks do better when dark is dark, so even though I've rather defeated the purpose of that by plugging the one heat lamp back in, as I said, as soon as we are back out of single digits overnight or I see all of them under the heat plate at night when I close the door for the last time at night, I'll unplug the heat lamp. By next month I should be able to move chicks out there either right out of the hatcher again, or after only a day or so. For now with the temps as they are it's nice to keep them inside a few days to make sure everyone is eating and drinking, but I don't really like brooding chicks in the house, they belong in the coop.

It was amazing how much feather dust we vacuumed up as we moved the pen panels to install the insulation - the whole coop was cleaned and vacuumed only 2-3 months ago at most, and in that time an inch of feather dust had collected between panels. We looked at each other and agreed as soon as it is warm enough to do a whole coop cleaning it is getting done again. Once again I was thankful for my little shop vac!

 

[megshenhut]

Did you see a difference between the hatchery version and the ones you bought from Whitmore?

Yes, definitely. They were better quality and the eggs are much darker.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
Thanks My eggs arrived today, letting rest overnight and will set in the morning.

 

[Pozees]

I had a wonderful visit today with a woman who bought the last of my Fayoumis (except those still in the incubator) and she offered me some eggs if there is any interest - she has a Bantam flock of Silkies, Bantam Cochins, & D'Uccles that she's gotten some very pretty chicks out of, and said if I'd like to hatch some she would meet me in Pueblo with eggs. Would anyone here be interested in this mix? She said they are very broody and uses them to hatch out LF eggs for her layer flock. I am glad to set some if anyone here would be interested in the chicks at $4 each to cover the cost of hatching them and brooding for a few days.

 

[trsturself]

I had a wonderful visit today with a woman who bought the last of my Fayoumis (except those still in the incubator) and she offered me some eggs if there is any interest - she has a Bantam flock of Silkies, Bantam Cochins, & D'Uccles that she's gotten some very pretty chicks out of, and said if I'd like to hatch some she would meet me in Pueblo with eggs. Would anyone here be interested in this mix? She said they are very broody and uses them to hatch out LF eggs for her layer flock. I am glad to set some if anyone here would be interested in the chicks at $4 each to cover the cost of hatching them and brooding for a few days.

What color D'Uccles? We are interested in all of those and might be interested in eggs at the end of Feb.

We have the EcoGlow brooder. Wish I knew about a cheaper option before I bought it! We haven't used ours yet but have heard wonderful things about them. We used to use the red heat lamp too and almost burnt the house down when it got leaned against a piece of cardboard.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
I think Mille Fleur, but none are pure, they all run together, and she says if she let them hatch all they tried to, she would increase her flock by 75 a year LOL.

 

[jime]

Hello everybody.
I am always reading here and everyones in a while I try to write (not good with the english, better at spanish).
-I do have some sussex from Doc's they are amazing, really nice huge birds.A+ breeder.
-Welsummer, I love the breed sadly I have to part with my roosters because they are beautiful but really noisy as well, it was either get divorce or find homes for the boys, I am only left with one girl I like their egg colour even when is in the light side (after a while) they still a ice terracotta colour.Some girls like to be noisy and some not I did have one go broody.(witch according to the breeder is not suppose to happen) but she was a great mother.
-Bresse: I have bresse, they are nice birds take bait to grow huge breast on the boys,what i found with this breed is when hatching there is always more girls than boys, this in my case I don't like much because I rather eat boys than girls and there is not market for the girls as laying hens jet an n many people like just plain white birds.The girls are really good layers love to sing the egg song.In the girls I still have 2 sizes of combs (some have a small single combo and other have a huge one almost like a roster's comb), they are great free rangers.
The meat taste or texture, I can not tell you for sure, they are obviously better than any store bought chicken but I eat marradunas as well and have not find difference in the meat other than the grow rate.I do feed my birds sprouted grains, fermented grain and fodder barley, and the grains are soak in milk as well so kind of the French way, I don't know if the texture will be different if you feed them other diet (normal pellet or mash food).I just butcher 3 breeze 2 Sundays ago and they where a bit short of 4 months the biggest was 3.8 and the smallest 2.7 something (dressed with no heads and no wings )for me is a good size.

 

[suncatcher]

What color D'Uccles? We are interested in all of those and might be interested in eggs at the end of Feb.

We have the EcoGlow brooder. Wish I knew about a cheaper option before I bought it! We haven't used ours yet but have heard wonderful things about them. We used to use the red heat lamp too and almost burnt the house down when it got leaned against a piece of cardboard. 

That is why I refrain from running a heat lamp, you just never know what can happen to that light, and they get super hot! I am very interested in the heat plate though.......

Pozee did this lady live out east? The one with the mixed bantam flock? I talked to one of the people I sold some hens too, and she also had silkies, but not sure on the other breed, so was curious. I have told several about BYC, one was a member already, but said too much drama here, well yep, is bound to happen, as some people like to stir it up! I told her is worth it for the information, and after awhile you know whose posts are worth reading.

As to finishing the Bresse before butchering, the French finish them with Cereal Grains, I have no idea what that means exactly, but maybe that is part of how the French Bresse come to taste so good!